Every individual
strives for name and fame ! but life in phases can be far different ~the story
of a Man who conquered many things but is now languishing in jail with poor
health !! - It is turmoil in
our neighbourhood Nation that shows animosity all the time, a Nation that
shares land borders and chequered history !
..
I
remember that Pongal Test in 1980 at Chepauk when Pakistan toured India.
The star Batsman Zaheer Abbas failed miserably, getting out to Roger
Binny many a times; some Pakis claimed
that to be result of black magic ! .. .. Sandip Patil debuted and we so eagerly
looked forward to his making runs – glaring at him in the net practice before
the commencement of the Test. Sunil
Gavaskar was to make 166 and Kapil bowled so well – a 7 wicket haul in the 2nd essay ensured a comfortable 10 wicket victory
for India. Imran Khan ran in long and
hard and bowled fast – took 5 wickets too – those days there were rest days the
4th day - 18th
Jan was a rest day. Years later,
in Feb 1987, Imran captained Pakis and scored a ton, which was overshadowed by
a brilliant 123 laced with 18 fours and 2 sixers by local lad Krishnamachari
Srikkanth.
The fast and fiery Imran
Khan made his Test debut against England
at Edgbaston on 3 June 1971, aged eighteen. It was hardly the arrival of an
instant superstar. In a high-scoring draw, he made only five runs and returned
figures of 0 for 36 from 23 overs. He was raw, not exceptionally quick and
still searching for an effective bowling action. After this solitary appearance, he remained
outside the Test team for nearly three years.
The 1982–83 home
series against India represented one of his bowling peaks: he took 40 wickets
in six Tests and overwhelmed a formidable Indian batting side. He was appointed
Pakistan captain in 1982 and led
Pakistan to their first Test-series victory in England in 1987.
In 88 Tests, Imran
scored 3,807 runs at 37.69 and captured 362 wickets at 22.81. He captained
Pakistan in 48 Tests. The 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand provided
the defining chapter of his cricketing life. Pakistan began disastrously, winning only one
of their first five matches. They were dismissed for 74 by England and escaped
defeat only because rain caused the match to be abandoned. Then they reached
Finals. England were bowled out for 227, giving
Pakistan victory by 22 runs and their first World Cup.
On 25 April 1996, Imran
founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf—PTI, meaning the Pakistan Movement for
Justice. His early political career was
largely unsuccessful. PTI failed to win a seat in the 1997 election. Imran
entered the National Assembly only in 2002, while his party remained electorally
marginal. Critics dismissed him as a famous cricketer without an effective
political organisation. PTI emerged as a major national force in the 2013
election and formed the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Imran then
led prolonged protests alleging electoral malpractice and projecting himself as
the principal opponent of both Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and the Bhutto-led PPP. PTI emerged as the largest party in the 2018
general election. Imran won all five National Assembly constituencies that he
contested and became prime minister in August 2018.
His rise was
nevertheless controversial. Opponents alleged that Pakistan’s powerful military
establishment had helped weaken his rivals and create favourable conditions for
him. His relationship with the military—initially regarded as an important
source of his political strength—eventually deteriorated. In April 2022, after
coalition partners and some PTI legislators withdrew their support, Imran lost
a parliamentary no-confidence vote. He became the first Pakistani prime
minister to be removed through that constitutional mechanism. He survived a shooting attempt; arrests,
protests and numerous criminal cases followed. He was imprisoned in August 2023
and subsequently convicted in several cases involving state gifts, corruption
and other allegations. Imran and PTI maintain that the prosecutions are
politically motivated; Pakistan’s government and authorities reject that claim.
Now, Imran Khan, aged 73, is alive and back in
Adiala Jail, but there are genuine concerns about his health—particularly his
eyesight. He was reportedly diagnosed
with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO)—a blockage in a vein carrying blood
away from the retina. This can cause sudden or progressive loss of vision and,
if severe or inadequately treated, may leave permanent damage. The Pakistani government and prison
authorities dispute this description. They say his eyesight improved after
treatment and was “almost normal.”
Because of these
conflicting accounts, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that he be examined at
Shifa International Hospital by a multidisciplinary medical panel. He was taken
for assessment but returned to prison
after a much shorter hospital stay than his family and PTI had expected. The
detailed clinical report has not been publicly released, reportedly on grounds
of medical privacy. His sons now say that isolation is affecting even their
normally strong and composed father, causing agitation, anxiety and
palpitations.
The wheel has
completed a circle and now Imran Khan is facing arguably the biggest challenge of
survival not in political career perhaps in life itself.
Today comes the
news that the PCB has made a formal
complaint to Sky Sports after the broadcaster aired an interview with the sons
of former prime minister and captain Imran Khan during the lunch interval on
the first day of the Lord's Test. Cricinfo understands the PCB considered the
option of Pakistan not taking the field after the break in protest. Former
England captain and current Sky Sports broadcaster Mike Atherton conducted the
interview, in which Imran's sons Suleiman and Kasim Khan expressed concern
about the health of their father, who has been in prison for three years, and
said they feared for his life.
Last week, 22
former captains, including Atherton, wrote a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to ensure Imran receives proper care in prison. The
letter included captains from India, Australia, England, West Indies and New
Zealand. It was a follow-up to a previous letter 14 captains had written in
February, one that received no reply from the Pakistan government.
Before concluding
you must read to understand how Pakistan treated the man who perhaps was the
first proponent of the State !!
Choudhry
Rahmat Ali [1897 - 1951] is credited to be the earliest proponent of the
creation of the state of Pakisthan. He is credited with creating the name
"Pakistan" for a separate Muslim homeland in South Asia and is
generally known as the originator of the Pakistan Movement. Rahmat Ali's seminal contribution was when he
was a law student at the University of Cambridge in 1933, in the form of a
pamphlet - "Now or Never; Are We to
Live or Perish Forever?", also known as the "Pakistan
Declaration".
But
as it would dawn, sadly after the creation of Pakistan, Ali returned from
England in April 1948, planning to stay in the country, but his belongings were
confiscated and he was expelled by the prime minister Liaqat Ali Khan. In Oct 1948, Ali left
empty-handed. He died on 3 Feb 1951 in Cambridge "destitute, forlorn and
lonely". The funeral expenses of
insolvent Ali were covered by Emmanuel College, Cambridge on the instructions
of its Master. Ali was buried at Cambridge City Cemetery. He is all but forgotten in the "country
he coined".
Regards – S Sampathkumar
28.8.2026
